GIRLS TENNIS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Stirring up a racket

For now, the Brazilian exchange student will finish her junior year at Silverado High and return home to Sao Paulo when her visa expires next July.

Her dream is to earn a scholarship to play squash at Harvard or Stanford. A precocious talent in the sport, Noronha moonlighted as a tennis player this season and led the Hawks to their first league title in program history.

Dominating an unfamiliar sport a continent away from family and friends, Noronha is the 2007 Daily Press Girls Tennis Athlete of the Year.

She lost her first match to Hesperia's Nicky King. She lost her last match to Villa Park's Dahra Zamudio.

In between, Noronha went 46-0. And she didn't even know how to hit topspin.

"I play like squash," Noronha said while swinging her hand in a slicing motion. "It's like squash-tennis."

Noronha, 16, started playing squash five years ago. She already has won the under-19 Brazilian championships three times.

In this past summer's Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Noronha was a reserve for the Brazilian squash team, which featured a 40-year-old and several players in their mid-20s.

After experiencing that competitive setting, high school opponents who were intense or even downright ornery didn't have much of an effect on Noronha.

"She thinks it's funny that these little high school girls try to intimidate other players," Silverado coach Suszanna Paxton said.

Noronha's easygoing and fun-loving attitude made her an instant hit with teammates. Throughout Silverado's undefeated Desert Sky League campaign, she led raucous dances in the huddle before and after matches.

"She fit in great. Everybody loved her because she's so funny," said Hawks junior Hannah Brown, who moved over to No. 2 singles to accommodate Noronha. "Most of the girls on the team have known each other for a few years, but she fit in just as well. ... She said very unexpected and funny things. And the accent always helps."

As Noronha's English improved, so did her comfort level on the tennis court. As far as similarities between squash and tennis go, they both require a racket and ball. That's about it, says Noronha.

In her first set of tennis, Noronha didn't even understand the concept of ad scoring. Moreover, it was an adjustment to play team matches as opposed to one-on-one squash duels.

"Squash I play for me. With the team (tennis), I don't know, sometimes I was so nervous," Noronha said. "I said, `Oh my gosh, I have to win.' But it's cool because you make many friends."

Silverado's chemistry this season - not to mention Noronha and Brown dominating their league opponents - helped end Granite Hills' six-year reign as champion.

Noronha and Brown met in the finals of both the preseason Scorpion Invitational and the DSL tournament, with Noronha winning both times.

The constant slicing, deft drop shots and big serve made Noronha a tough and unorthodox matchup.

"No one around here played like that," Granite Hills coach Pat Jenkins said. "No one was used to it. They didn't know how to attack. She had really great touch on her drop shots."

To keep her squash skills sharp, Noronha will take up racquetball now that tennis is over. She has a mentor from Brazil who lives in San Diego and knows the Stanford squash coach.

Noronha would have gone to school in San Diego, but her study abroad program didn't have host families in the area. That might not have been the worst thing in hindsight, given the way Noronha talks about her teammates in Victorville.

"It's better than when you play alone, to have a team and talk all the time," Noronha said. "Every time we're together we play and try to help. Everybody tries to help. And everybody wants to win, so everybody has to help everybody because it's not only you. If only you win, it doesn't count for anything."

2007 GIRLS TENNIS ALL-AREA TEAM
COACH OF THE YEAR
Suszanna Paxton, Silverado
Paxton led Silverado to its first-ever league title. This wasn't supposed to be the breakthrough season, not with two returning varsity players. But the Hawks pulled together for a magical undefeated run, beating six-time champion Granite Hills twice.

SINGLES
Brianna Wood, Serrano, Jr.
The junior put it together this year, using a strong all-court game to breeze through the MRL. Thanks in part to her mental toughness, Wood seems ready to follow in Serrano graduate Lauren Tarver's footsteps and win multiple league championships.

Alissa Moffett, Sultana, Sr.
Competitive fire never was an issue for Moffett, who finished runner-up in the Mojave River League title match. Sparked by an undefeated preseason, Moffett was 58-6 in her senior season and qualified for CIF Individuals for the second straight year.

Nicky King, Hesperia, Fr.
In the season opener, King showed she was no ordinary freshman when she beat Silverado's Hannah Brown, 6-2. Against some steep competition in the MRL, King took over Hesperia's No. 1 slot and went 21-3 (38-4 overall) and was named team MVP.

ALTERNATE
Hannah Brown, Silverado, Jr.
Picking up steam as the season progressed, Brown dropped only one set in league play and finished 31-5 overall. Her clutch performance against Granite Hills in the finale (6-0, 6-2, 6-0) helped the Hawks secure a narrow victory and an undefeated season.

DOUBLES
Ashley Smaldone, Jr., and Kauren Tarver, Sr., Serrano
About midway through the season, Tarver and Smaldone switched from singles to doubles. Good move. This strengthened Serrano's overall team scoring for the stretch run. The duo won the MRL tournament and advanced to the second round of CIF Individuals.

Megan Camara, Sr., and Melissa Westerman, Jr., Sultana
Sultana's second-place finish was courtesy of strong doubles play. With their size and athleticism, Westerman and Camara were a force en route to a 21-3 MRL record. They also took two sets against powerhouse Santiago/Corona in the playoffs.

Katherine Bednarski, Sr., and Savanna Jeffers, Jr., Hesperia
Bednarski and Jeffers made a run to the finals of the Scorpion Invitational on their home courts, including a straight-sets victory over Granite Hills' No. 1 duo. They went 38-8 overall and 18-6 against the tough doubles field in the MRL.

ALTERNATES
Jordan McKee, Sr., and Michelle Yi, Sr., Granite Hills
The energetic seniors brought plenty of wacky fun and laughs to the court. They also knew how to take care of business. Yi and McKee went undefeated during DSL play. They lost in the championship match to their team's top two singles players.

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